NationMaster - Encyclopedia: 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004 with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis that spread throughout the Indian Ocean, killing large numbers of people and inundating coastal communities across South and Southeast Asia, including parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. Although initial estimates have put the worldwide death toll at over 275,000 with thousands of others missing, recent analysis compiled lists a total of 229,866 persons lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing.^[1] The figure excludes 400 to 600 people who are believed to have perished in Myanmar which is more than that government's official figure of only 61 dead.^[2] The catastrophe is one of the deadliest disasters in modern history. The disaster is known in Asia and in the international media as the Asian Tsunami, and also called the Boxing Day Tsunami in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as it took place on Boxing Day. Coincidentally, the tsunami occurred exactly one year after the 2003 earthquake that devastated the southern Iranian city of Bam. Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1114, 916 KB) A picture of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1114, 916 KB) A picture of the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ao Nang is a central point of the coastal province of Krabi, Thailand. ... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energy in the crust that propagates seismic waves. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The epicenter or epicentre (ancient Greek: επίκεντρον) is the point on the Earths surface that is directly above or below the center of a localized explosive event or point of seismic energy release. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 kmÂ²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... The tsunami that struck MalÃ© in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir) South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is a southern geopolitical region of the Asian continent comprising territories on and in proximity to the Indian subcontinent. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of wars and disasters by death toll. ... The terms Modern World, Modern Period, New World, Modern Times, Progressive Age, Modern Age, or Modern Era are recognized by historians as being that period of time commencing after the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, after the mid-18th century. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. ... Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. ... Bam before the earthquake. ...

The magnitude of the earthquake was originally recorded as 9.0 on the Richter scale, but has been upgraded to between 9.1 and 9.3. At this magnitude, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake was also reported to be the longest duration of faulting ever observed, lasting between 500 and 600 seconds, and it was large enough that it caused the entire planet to vibrate at least half an inch, or over a centimetre.^[3] It also triggered earthquakes in other locations as far away as Alaska.^[4] The moment magnitude scale was introduced in 1979 by Tom Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori as a successor to the Richter scale and is used by seismologists to compare the energy released by earthquakes. ... Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ... Seismographs (in Greek seismos = earthquake and graphein = write) are used by seismologists to record seismic waves. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area Ranked 1st - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,854 kmÂ²) - Width 808 miles (1,300 km) - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km) - % water 13. ...

The earthquake originated in the Indian Ocean just north of Simeulue island, off the western coast of northern Sumatra. The resulting tsunami devastated the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and other countries with waves up to 30 m (100 ft). It caused serious damage and deaths as far as the east coast of Africa, with the furthest recorded death due to the tsunami occurring at Rooi Els in South Africa, 8,000 km (5,000 mi) away from the epicentre. In total, eight people in South Africa died due to abnormally high sea levels and waves. Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Simeulue is an island in the Indian Ocean, 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ...

The plight of the many affected people and countries prompted a widespread humanitarian response. In all, the worldwide community donated more than US$7 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake. A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order â€“ for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. ...

Earthquake characteristics

The earthquake was initially reported as moment magnitude, Mw 9.0. (Notice that this is not the so-called Richter scale or local magnitude scale, ML, which is known to saturate at higher magnitudes.) In February 2005 some scientists revised the estimate of the magnitude to 9.3.^[5] Although the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has accepted these new numbers, the United States Geological Survey has so far not changed its estimate of 9.1. The most recent studies in 2006 have obtained a magnitude of Mw 9.1 to 9.3. Dr. Hiroo Kanamori of the California Institute of Technology believes that Mw = 9.2 is a good representative value for the size of this great earthquake. Reference: EERI Publication 2006-06, page 14 [www.eeri.org] Image File history File links Earthquake_20041226_epicentre. ... Image File history File links Earthquake_20041226_epicentre. ... The epicenter or epicentre (ancient Greek: επίκεντρον) is the point on the Earths surface that is directly above or below the center of a localized explosive event or point of seismic energy release. ... Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Simeulue is an island in the Indian Ocean, 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra. ... Tsunameter and buoys used by DART system The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), operated by NOAA in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, USA, is a tsunami warning system, overseeing international tsunami prediction and issuing warnings for the Pacific Ocean area. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ...

The hypocentre of the main earthquake was at 3.316°N, 95.854°E (3°19′N 95°51.24′E), approximately 160 km (100 mi) west of Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km (19 mi) below mean sea level (initially reported as 10 km). The earthquake itself (apart from the tsunami) was felt as far away as Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and the Maldives. The hypocenter or hypocentre (literally: below the center from the Greek υπόκεντρον), also known as the focus, is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ...

Indonesia lies between the Pacific Ring of Fire along the north-eastern islands adjacent to and including New Guinea and the Alpide belt along the south and west from Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores, and Timor. The December 2004 earthquake actually occurred within the Alpide belt. ^{[citation needed]} The Pacific Ring of Fire The Pacific Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ... The Alpide belt extends from Java to Sumatra through the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, and out into the Atlantic. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 kmÂ²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... This is the current Indonesian Collaboration of the week. ... Map of Flores Island Flores (Portuguese for flowers) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 kmÂ² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. ... Map of Timor Timor Island from space, November 1989. ...

Since 1900 the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (magnitude 9.5) and the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound (9.2). The only other recorded earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or greater was off Kamchatka, Russia, on November 4, 1952 (magnitude 9.0).^[6] Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, but the death toll from these was significantly lower. The worst of these caused only a few thousand deaths, primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas and the much greater distances to more populated coasts. A Valdivia street after the earthquake of May 22, 1960 The Great Chilean Earthquake or Valdivia Earthquake (Terremoto de Valdivia in Spanish) of May 22, 1960 is the largest magnitude earthquake recorded since seismographic monitoring began. ... Fourth Avenue, Anchorage The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of Friday, March 27, 1964, 5:36 P.M. ADT (03:36 3/28 UTC) was the second most powerful earthquake in U.S. and North American history after magnitude 9. ... Prince William Sound, on the south coast of Alaska. ... Kamchatka is the home of many volcanoes. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A megathrust earthquake is an interplate earthquake where one tectonic plate slips beneath (subducts) another. ...

Other very large megathrust earthquakes occurred in 1868 (Peru, Nazca Plate and South American Plate); 1827 (Colombia, Nazca Plate and South American Plate); 1812 (Venezuela, Caribbean Plate and South American Plate) and 1700 (Cascadia Earthquake, western U.S. and Canada, Juan de Fuca Plate and North American Plate). These are all believed to have been of greater than magnitude 9, but no accurate measurements were available at the time. The Nacza plate, shown in light blue The Nazca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America. ... The South American Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of South America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ... Detail of tectonic plates from: Tectonic plates of the world. ... The 1700 Cascadia Earthquake was a magnitude 8. ... hi ... The North American plate, shown in brown The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Cherskiy Range in East Siberia. ...

Tectonic plates

The earthquake was unusually large in geographical extent. An estimated 1,200 km (750 mi) of faultline slipped about 15 m (50 ft) along the subduction zone where the India Plate dives under the Burma Plate. The slip did not happen instantaneously but took place in two phases over a period of several minutes. Seismographic and acoustic data indicate that the first phase involved the formation of a rupture about 400 km (250 mi) long and 100 km (60 mi) wide, located 30 km (19 mi) beneath the sea bed—the longest rupture ever known to have been caused by an earthquake. The rupture proceeded at a speed of about 2.8 km/s (1.7 mi/s) or 10,000 km/h (6,300 mph), beginning off the coast of Aceh and proceeding north-westerly over a period of about 100 seconds. A pause of about another 100 seconds took place before the rupture continued northwards towards the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, the northern rupture occurred more slowly than in the south, at about 2.1 km/s (1.3 mi/s) or 7,600 km/h (4,700 mph), continuing north for another five minutes to a plate boundary where the fault changes from subduction to strike-slip (the two plates push past one another in opposite directions). This reduced the speed of the water displacement and so reducing the size of the tsunami that hit the northern part of the Indian Ocean.^[7] Fault in metamorphosed strata near Adelaide, Australia Geologic faults or simply faults are planar rock fractures which show evidence of relative movement. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ... The Indian plate, shown in red Due to continental drift, the India Plate split from Madagascar and collided with the Eurasian Plate resulting in the formation of the Himalayas. ... The Burma Plate, showing boundaries with the India Plate (the Sunda Trench) and the Sunda Plate (through the Andaman Sea) The Burma Plate is a small tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Aceh (IPA pronunciation: , pronounced approximately Ah-CÃ¨h, but with [e], not [ei] at the end) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Fault in metamorphosed strata near Adelaide, Australia Geologic faults or simply faults are planar rock fractures which show evidence of relative movement. ...

The India Plate is part of the great Indo-Australian Plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is drifting north-east at an average of 6 cm/year (2 inches per year). The India Plate meets the Burma Plate (which is considered a portion of the great Eurasian Plate) at the Sunda Trench. At this point the India Plate subducts beneath the Burma Plate, which carries the Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Islands and northern Sumatra. The India Plate slips deeper and deeper beneath the Burma Plate until the increasing temperature and pressure drive volatiles out of the subducting plate. These volatiles rise into the crust above and trigger melt which exits the earth's crust through volcanoes in the form of a volcanic arc. The volcanic activity that results as the Indo-Australian plate subducts the Eurasian plate has created the Sunda Arc. The Indo-Australian plate is shown in dull orange on this map. ... A map showing the location of the Bay of Bengal. ... The Burma Plate, showing boundaries with the India Plate (the Sunda Trench) and the Sunda Plate (through the Andaman Sea) The Burma Plate is a small tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. ... The Eurasian plate, shown in green The Eurasian Plate is a tectonic plate covering Eurasia (a landmass consisting of the continents Europe and Asia) except that it does not cover the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian subcontinent, and the area east of the Verkhoyansk Range in East Siberia. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 kmÂ²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or mountains located near the edge of continents that are formed as the result of tectonic plate subduction. ... Categories: Geology stubs | Plate tectonics ...

As well as the sideways movement between the plates, the sea bed is estimated to have risen by several metres, displacing an estimated 30 km³ (7 cu mi) of water and triggering devastating tsunami waves. The waves did not originate from a point source, as mistakenly depicted in some illustrations of their spread, but radiated outwards along the entire 1,200 km (750 mi) length of the rupture (acting as a line source). This greatly increased the geographical area over which the waves were observed, reaching as far as Mexico, Chile and the Arctic. The raising of the sea bed significantly reduced the capacity of the Indian Ocean, producing a permanent rise in the global sea level by an estimated 0.1 mm.^[8] The tsunami that struck MalÃ© in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ... Look up point source in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... North-South Expressway in Malaysia; a roadway can be considered as a line source of air and noise pollution and need not be a straight line. ... The red line indicates the 10Â°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctican area around the South Pole. ...

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Numerous aftershocks were reported off the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands and the region of the original epicentre in the hours and days that followed. The largest aftershock of magnitude 8.7 was located off the Sumatran island of Nias.^[9] A debate arose among seismologists over whether the 2005 Sumatra earthquake should be considered an aftershock of the December 2004 event or a "triggered earthquake" (an earthquake brought about by a previous earthquake),^[10] as it was larger than typical aftershocks but on the same fault. Other aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.6 continued to shake the region daily for up to three or four months. As well as continuing aftershocks, the energy released by the original earthquake continued to make its presence felt well after the event. A week after the earthquake, its reverberations could still be measured, providing valuable scientific data about the Earth's interior. Download high resolution version (612x792, 61 KB) Aftershocks of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, with data up to January 10, 2005. ... Download high resolution version (612x792, 61 KB) Aftershocks of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, with data up to January 10, 2005. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... Aftershocks are earthquakes in the same region of the mainshock (generally within a few rupture length) but of smaller magnitude and which occur with in a pattern that follows Omoris law. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... Map of Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean, and are part of India. ... Pulau Nias, off Sumatra, Indonesia Nias (Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias language: TanÃ¶ Niha) is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ...

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake came just three days after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in an uninhabited region west of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, and north of Australia's Macquarie Island. This is unusual, since earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more occur only about once per year on average.^[11] Some seismologists have speculated about a connection between these two earthquakes, saying that the former one might have been a catalyst to the Indian Ocean earthquake, as the two earthquakes happened on opposite sides of the Indo-Australian Plate. However, the U.S. Geological Survey sees no evidence of a causal relationship in this incident. Coincidentally, the earthquake struck almost exactly one year (to the hour) after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake killed an estimated 30,000 people in the city of Bam in Iran on December 26, 2003.^[12] The sub-antarctic islands are the islands in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. ... The Auckland Islands (50Â°42â€² S 166Â°5â€² E) form a sub-antarctic archipelago of New Zealand. ... Orthographic projection over Macquarie Island Macquarie Island lies in the Southern Ocean, about half-way between Australia and Antarctica. ... The Indo-Australian plate is shown in dull orange on this map. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... Bam before the earthquake. ... December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

An earthquake of magnitude 8.7 was reported shortly at 16:09:37 UTC (23:09:37 local time) on March 28, 2005, approximately at the same location (see 2005 Sumatran earthquake). It was likely a very large aftershock of the original earthquake. This earthquake had strong aftershocks of its own, including magnitude 6.0 and 6.1 earthquakes. At 8.7 it ranks as the 7th largest earthquake since 1900. A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck on April 10, 2005, at 10:29 UTC (17:29 local time) about 120 km (75 mi) south-west of the city of Padang.^[13]^[14] March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. ...

Some scientists confirm that the December earthquake had activated Leuser Mountain, a volcano in Aceh province along the same range of peaks as Mount Talang, while the 2005 Sumatran earthquake had sparked activity in Lake Toba, an ancient crater in Sumatra.^[15] Geologists say that the eruption of Mount Talang in April 2005 is connected to the December earthquake.^[16] Mount Leuser (3404m) is the tallest mountain in the Indonesian semi-autonomous region of Aceh. ... Three months after the tsunami struck, the people of Aceh, Indonesia, are struggling to put their lives together, according to the nations officials. ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ... View of Lake Toba Lake Toba is a large lake, 100km long and 30km wide, in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. ... Three months after the tsunami struck, the people of Aceh, Indonesia, are struggling to put their lives together, according to the nations officials. ...

Power of the earthquake

The total energy released by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake has been estimated as 3.35 exajoules (3.35×10¹⁸ joules). This is equivalent to over 930 terawatt hours, 0.8 gigatons of TNT, or about as much energy as is used in the United States in 11 days. However, the most reliable seismic energy release estimate, as of September 30, 2005, is 1.1×10¹⁸ joules. This corresponds to about 0.25 gigatons of TNT. The earthquake is estimated to have resulted in an oscillation of the Earth's surface of about 20–30 cm (8–12 in), equivalent to the effect of the tidal forces caused by the Sun and Moon. The shock waves of the earthquake were felt across the planet; as far away as the U.S. state of Oklahoma, where vertical movements of 3 mm (0.12 in) were recorded.^[17] The entire Earth's surface is estimated to have moved vertically by up to 1 cm. To help compare different orders of magnitude, the following list describes various energy levels between 10âˆ’31 joules and 1070 joules. ... The joule (symbol: J) is the SI unit of energy, which is defined as the potential to do work. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A gigaton (or gigatonne) is a Metric Unit of mass, equal to 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) Metric tons, 1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) kilograms, or 1 quadrillion grams. ... This article is about tides in the ocean. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area Ranked 20th - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 kmÂ²) - Width 230 miles (370 km) - Length 298 miles (fBlack Mesa Mountain]][2] km) - % water 1. ...

The shift of mass and the massive release of energy very slightly altered the Earth's rotation. The exact amount is yet undetermined, but theoretical models suggest the earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2.68 microseconds (2.68 µs, or about one billionth of the length of a day), due to a decrease in the oblateness of the Earth.^[18] It also caused the Earth to minutely "wobble" on its axis by up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in the direction of 145° east longitude,^[19] or perhaps by up to 5 or 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in).^[20] However, because of tidal effects of the Moon, the length of a day increases at an average of 15 µs per year, so any rotational change due to the earthquake will be lost quickly. Similarly, the natural Chandler wobble of the Earth can be up to 15 m (50 ft). To help compare orders of magnitude of different times this page lists times between 10âˆ’6 seconds and 10âˆ’5 seconds (1. ... An oblate spheroid is ellipsoid having a shorter axis and two equal longer axes. ... Longitude, sometimes denoted by the Greek letter Î», describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Bulk silicate composition (estimated wt%) SiO2 44. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different times this page lists times between 10âˆ’6 seconds and 10âˆ’5 seconds (1. ... The Chandler wobble is a small variation in Earths axis of rotation, discovered by American astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler in 1891. ... The metre, or meter (symbol: m) is the SI base unit of length. ...

More spectacularly, there was 10 m (33 ft) movement laterally and 4–5 m (13–16 ft) vertically along the fault line. Early speculation was that some of the smaller islands south-west of Sumatra, which is on the Burma Plate (the southern regions are on the Sunda Plate), may have moved south-west by up to 20 m (66 ft), and some early estimates said up to 36 m (118 ft). However, more accurate data released, more than a month following the earthquake, present a more manageable figure of 20 cm (7.9 in).^[21] Since movement was vertical as well as lateral, some coastal areas may have been moved to below sea level. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands appear to have shifted south-west by around 1.25 m (4.1 ft) and to have sunk by 1 m (3.28 ft).^[22] The Burma Plate, showing boundaries with the India Plate (the Sunda Trench) and the Sunda Plate (through the Andaman Sea) The Burma Plate is a small tectonic plate or microplate located in Southeast Asia, often considered a part of the larger Eurasian Plate. ... Sunda Plate ... Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair The Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Tamil: à®…à®¨à¯à®¤à®®à®¾à®©à¯ à®¨à®¿à®•à¯‹à®ªà®¾à®°à¯ à®¤à¯€à®µà¯à®•à®³à¯, Hindi: à¤…à¤‚à¤¡à¤®à¤¾à¤¨ à¤”à¤° à¤¨à¤¿à¤•à¥‹à¤¬à¤¾à¤° à¤¦à¥à¤µà¥€à¤ª) is a union territory of India. ...

In February 2005 the Royal Navy vessel HMS Scott surveyed the seabed around the earthquake zone, which varies in depth between 1,000 m and 5,000 m (3,300 ft and 16,500 ft) west of Sumatra. The survey, conducted using a high-resolution, multi-beam sonar system, revealed that the earthquake had made a huge impact on the topography of the seabed. Previous activity on the fault over geological periods of time had created large thrust ridges, about 1,500 m high, which collapsed in places during the earthquake to produce large landslides several kilometres across. One landslide consisted of a single block of material some 100 m high and 2 km long (300 ft by 1.25 mi). The force of the displaced water was such that individual blocks of rock, massing millions of tons apiece, were dragged as much as 10 km (7 mi) across the seabed. An oceanic trench several kilometres wide was exposed in the earthquake zone.^[23] The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... HMS Scott is an ocean-going survey vessel of the Royal Navy. ... // The F70 type frigates (here, La Motte-Picquet) are fitted with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) type DUBV43 or DUBV43C tugged sonars SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging) â€” or sonar â€” (the British used Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee (ASDIC) until 1948) is a technique that uses sound propagation under water to navigate... This entry refers to the geological term landslide. ... The oceanic trenches are hemispheric-scale long but narrow topographic depressions of the sea floor. ...

By a beneficial and remarkable coincidence, the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason 1 satellites happened to pass over the tsunami as it was crossing the ocean.^[24] These satellites carry radars that measure precisely the height of the water surface; anomalies of the order of 50 cm (20 in) were measured. Measurements from these satellites may prove invaluable for the understanding of the earthquake and tsunami.^[25] Unlike data from tide gauges installed on shores, measurements obtained in the middle of the ocean can be used for computing the parameters of the source earthquake without having to compensate for complex effects close to the coast. Inversion of this height data may help adjust the parameters for the source earthquake. The TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter is a science project to measure the ocean surface topography. ... This article contains material and/or images that originally came from a NASA website. ... This long range RADAR antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. RADAR is a system that uses radio waves to determine and map the location, direction, and/or speed... This tidal gauge is ready to be installed underwater in a marina. ...

Tsunami characteristics

The sudden vertical rise of the seabed by several metres during the earthquake displaced massive volumes of water, resulting in a tsunami that struck the coasts of the Indian Ocean. A tsunami which causes damage far away from its source is sometimes called a "teletsunami", and is much more likely to be produced by vertical motion of the seabed than by horizontal motion.^[26] Image File history File links 2004_Indonesia_Tsunami_edit. ... The tsunami that struck MalÃ© in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

The tsunami, like all others, behaved very differently in deep water than in shallow water. In deep ocean water, tsunami waves form only a small hump, barely noticeable and harmless, which generally travels at a very high speed of 500 to 1,000 km/h (310 to 620 mph); in shallow water near coastlines, a tsunami slows down to only tens of kilometres an hour but in doing so forms large destructive waves. Scientists investigating the damage in Aceh found evidence that the wave reached a height of 24 m (80 ft) when coming ashore along large stretches of the coastline, rising to 30 m (100 ft) in some areas when travelling inland.^[27]

Radar satellites recorded the heights of tsunami waves in deep water: at two hours after the earthquake, the maximum height was 60 cm (2 ft). These are the first such observations ever made. However, these observations could not have been used to provide a warning, because the satellites were not intended for that purpose and the data took hours to analyse.^[28]^[29] This long range RADAR antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. RADAR is a system that uses radio waves to determine and map the location, direction, and/or speed... A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ...

According to Tad Murty, vice-president of the Tsunami Society, the total energy of the tsunami waves was equivalent to about five megatons of TNT (20 petajoules). This is more than twice the total explosive energy used during all of World War II (including the two atomic bombs), but still a couple of orders of magnitude less than the energy released in the earthquake itself. In many places the waves reached as far as 2 km (1.24 mi) inland.^[30] Tad S. Murty is an Indian-Canadian oceanographer and expert on tsunamis. ... The Tsunami Society is a research organization that studies tsunamis and seeks to supply information about them to the public. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ... Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive. ... Peta can refer to: Peta (prefix), a prefix meaning times 1015 in the International System of Units People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal-rights organization People Eating Tasty Animals, a parody of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Peta, Greece, a town in the prefecture... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... An order of magnitude is the class of scale or magnitude of any amount, where each class contains values of a fixed ratio to the class preceding it. ... km redirects here. ... A mile is a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ...

Because the 1,200 km (745.6 mi) of faultline affected by the earthquake was in a nearly north-south orientation, the greatest strength of the tsunami waves was in an east-west direction. Bangladesh, which lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal, had very few casualties despite being a low-lying country relatively near the epicentre. It also benefited from the fact that the earthquake proceeded more slowly in the northern rupture zone, greatly reducing the energy of the water displacements in that region. A map showing the location of the Bay of Bengal. ...

Coasts that have a landmass between them and the tsunami's location of origin are usually safe; however, tsunami waves can sometimes diffract around such landmasses. Thus, the Indian state of Kerala was hit by the tsunami despite being on the western coast of India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka also suffered substantial impacts. Also distance alone is no guarantee of safety; Somalia was hit harder than Bangladesh despite being much farther away. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kerala ( ; Malayalam: à´•àµ‡à´°à´³à´‚, â€” ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ...

Because of the distances involved, the tsunami took anywhere from fifteen minutes to seven hours (for Somalia) to reach the various coastlines.^[31]^[32] The northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra were hit very quickly, while Sri Lanka and the east coast of India were hit roughly 90 minutes to two hours later. Thailand was also struck about two hours later despite being closer to the epicentre, because the tsunami travelled more slowly in the shallow Andaman Sea off its western coast. The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar and west of Thailand; it is part of the Indian Ocean. ...

The tsunami was noticed as far as Struisbaai in South Africa, some 8,500 km (5,300 mi) away, where a 1.5 m (5 ft) high tide surged on shore about 16 hours after the earthquake. It took a relatively long time to reach this spot at the southernmost point of Africa, probably because of the broad continental shelf off South Africa and because the tsunami would have followed the South African coast from east to west. The tsunami also reached Antarctica, where tidal gauges at Japan's Syowa Base recorded oscillations of up to a meter, with disturbances lasting a couple of days.^[33] Struisbaai is a coastal village boasting the longest continuous stretch of white sand coastline in the Southern Hemisphere, and is located at 34:48S and 20. ... Syowa Base is a Japanese research station in Antarctica at 69°00′ S 39°35′ E. Since 1970, research rockets of the types S-160 and S-210 have been launched from this base. ...

Some of the tsunami's energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where it produced small but measurable tsunamis along the western coasts of North and South America, typically around 20 to 40 cm (7.9 to 15.7 in).^[34] At Manzanillo, Mexico, a 2.6 m (8.5 ft) crest-to-trough tsunami was measured. This puzzled many scientists, as the tsunamis measured in some parts of South America were larger than those measured in some parts of the Indian Ocean. It has been theorised that the tsunamis were focused and directed at long ranges by the mid-ocean ridges which run along the margins of the continental plates.^[35] Manzanillo is a city in the Mexican state of Colima, located at . ... A mid-ocean ridge or mid-oceanic ridge is an underwater mountain range, formed by plate tectonics. ...

Signs and warnings

Despite a lag of up to several hours between the earthquake and the impact of the tsunami, nearly all of the victims were taken completely by surprise. There were no tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean to detect tsunamis or to warn the general populace living around the ocean. Tsunami detection is not easy because while a tsunami is in deep water it has little height and a network of sensors is needed to detect it. Setting up the communications infrastructure to issue timely warnings is an even bigger problem, particularly in a relatively poor part of the world. A tsunami warning system is a system to detect tsunamis and issue warnings to prevent loss of life. ...

Tsunamis are much more frequent in the Pacific Ocean because of earthquakes in the "Ring of Fire", and an effective tsunami warning system has long been in place there. Although the extreme western edge of the Ring of Fire extends into the Indian Ocean (the point where this earthquake struck), no warning system exists in that ocean. Tsunamis there are relatively rare despite earthquakes being relatively frequent in Indonesia. The last major tsunami was caused by the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. It should be noted that not every earthquake produces large tsunamis; on March 28, 2005, a magnitude 8.7 earthquake hit roughly the same area of the Indian Ocean but did not result in a major tsunami. The Pacific Ring of Fire The Pacific Ring of Fire is a zone of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. ... Krakatoa (Indonesian name: Krakatau, Portuguese name: Krakatao) is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the aftermath of the disaster, there is now an awareness of the need for a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. The United Nations started working on an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System and by 2005 had the initial steps in place. Some have even proposed creating a unified global tsunami warning system, to include the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... In a United Nations conference held in January 2005 in Kobe, Japan, it was decided that, as an initial step towards an International Early Warning Programme, the UN should establish an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. ... World map depicting Caribbean : West Indies redirects here. ...

The first warning sign of a possible tsunami is the earthquake itself. However, tsunamis can strike thousands of miles away where the earthquake is only felt weakly or not at all. Also, in the minutes preceding a tsunami strike, the sea often recedes temporarily from the coast. People in Pacific regions are more familiar with tsunamis and often recognise this phenomenon as a sign to head for higher ground.^{[citation needed]} However, around the Indian Ocean, this rare sight reportedly induced people, especially children, to visit the coast to investigate and collect stranded fish on as much as 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of exposed beach, with fatal results.^[36] Receding tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach. ... Receding tsunami waters at Kata Noi Beach. ... The beach and the bay at Kata Noi (December 2003). ...

One of the few coastal areas to evacuate ahead of the tsunami was on the Indonesian island of Simeulue, very close to the epicentre. Island folklore recounted an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, and the islanders fled to inland hills after the initial shaking yet before the tsunami struck.^[37] On Maikhao beach in northern Phuket, Thailand, a 10-year-old British girl named Tilly Smith had studied tsunamis in geography class at school and recognised the warning signs of the receding ocean and frothing bubbles. She and her parents warned others on the beach, which was evacuated safely.^[38] John Chroston, a biology teacher from Scotland, also recognised the signs at Kamala Bay north of Phuket, taking a busload of vacationers and locals to safety on higher ground. Sumatra; Simeulue is near the left edge in the upper half Simeulue is an island in the Indian Ocean, 150 km off the west coast of Sumatra. ... Phuket (Thai ภูเก็ต) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Tilly Smith is a British girl who, at age 10, was credited with saving nearly a hundred foreign tourists at Maikhao Beach (Thailand) by raising the alarm minutes before the arrival of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ... John Chroston, a biology teacher at Falkirk High School, Scotland, was one of the few tourists present during the Indian Ocean earthquake able to recognise tsunami warning signs and prompt a beach evacuation. ...

Retreat and rise cycle

The tsunami was a succession of several waves, occurring in retreat and rise cycles with a period of over 30 minutes between each peak. The third wave was the most powerful and reached highest, occurring about an hour and a half after the first wave. Smaller tsunamis continued to occur for the rest of the day.

Damage and casualties

The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded the toll as 283,100 killed, 14,100 missing, and 1,126,900 people displaced. Early news reports after the earthquake spoke of a toll in the hundreds, but the numbers rose steadily over the following week. However, more recent figures indicate that the actual casualties were 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing, for a total of 229,866, as more and more displaced survivors have been found and name duplications eliminated from the lists of victims. Measured in lives lost, this is one of the ten worst earthquakes in recorded history, as well as the single worst tsunami in history. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ...

Relief agencies report that one-third of the dead appear to be children. This is a result of the high proportion of children in the populations of many of the affected regions and because children were the least able to resist being overcome by the surging waters. Oxfam went on to report that as many as four times more women than men were killed in some regions because they were waiting on the beach for the fishermen to return and looking after their children in the houses.^[39] Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 independent, non-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organizations who work with local partners in over 100 countries worldwide to reduce poverty, suffering, and injustice. ...

In addition to the large number of local residents, up to 9,000 foreign tourists (mostly Europeans) enjoying the peak holiday travel season were among the dead or missing, especially people from the Nordic countries. The European nation hardest hit may have been Sweden, whose death toll was 428 dead, with 116 missing.^[40] Political map of the Nordic countries and associated territories. ...

States of emergency were declared in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Maldives. The United Nations has declared that the current relief operation will be the costliest ever. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated that reconstruction would probably take between five and ten years. Governments and non-governmental organisations fear the final death toll may double as a result of diseases, prompting a massive humanitarian response. A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. ... The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ... The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. ...

For purposes of establishing timelines of local events, the time zones of affected areas are: UTC+3: (Kenya, Madagascar, Somalia, Tanzania); UTC+4: (Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles); UTC+5: (Maldives); UTC+5:30: (India); UTC+6: (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka); UTC+6:30: (Cocos Islands, Myanmar); UTC+7: (Indonesia (western), Thailand); UTC+8: (Malaysia, Singapore). Since the earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC, add the above offsets to find the local time of the earthquake. A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... ...

Countries affected

The earthquake and resulting tsunami affected many countries in Southeast Asia and beyond, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, the Maldives, Somalia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Seychelles and others. Many other countries, especially Australia and those in Europe, had large numbers of citizens traveling in the region on holiday. Countries like Sweden and Germany lost over 500 citizens in the disaster. Download high resolution version (800x655, 58 KB) Subject: Map showing countries directly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ... Download high resolution version (800x655, 58 KB) Subject: Map showing countries directly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ... A village near the coast of Sumatra lies in ruins This article lists the countries affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami in alphabetical order â€“ for detailed information about each country see their individual articles. ...

Casualties in historical context

This earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake recorded since 1900, and the confirmed death toll is just under 200,000 due to the ensuing tsunami. The deadliest earthquakes since 1900 were the Tangshan, China earthquake of 1976, in which at least 255,000 were killed; the earthquake of 1927 in Xining, Qinghai, China (200,000); the Great Kanto earthquake which struck Tokyo in 1923 (143,000); and the Gansu, China, earthquake of 1920 (200,000). The deadliest known earthquake in history occurred in 1556 in Shaanxi, China, with an estimated death toll of 830,000, though figures from this time period may not be reliable.^[41] An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energy in the crust that propagates seismic waves. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ... The Tangshan earthquake (å”å±±å¤§åœ°éœ‡) of July 28, 1976 is one of the largest earthquakes in loss of life to hit the modern world. ... Location of Xining Xining (Simplified Chinese : è¥¿å®, Traditional Chinese : è¥¿å¯§, Tibetan : Ziling) is the capital of Qinghai Province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Qinghai (Chinese: é’æµ·; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching-hai; Postal System Pinyin: Tsinghai; Tibetan: à½˜à½šà½¼à¼‹à½¦à¾”à½¼à½“à¼‹ mtsho-sngon; Mongolian: KÃ¶ke NaÎ³ur; Manchu: Huhu Noor) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, named after the enormous Qinghai Lake. ... The Great Kanto Earthquake (é–¢æ±å¤§éœ‡ç½ KantÅ daishinsai) struck the Kanto plain on the Japanese main island of Honshu at 11:58 on the morning of September 1, 1923. ... Tokyo , literally Eastern capital) is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, the home of the Japanese Imperial Family, and the de facto[1] capital of Japan. ... Gansu (Simplified Chinese: ç”˜è‚ƒ; Traditional Chinese: ç”˜è‚…; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kan-su, Kansu, or Kan-suh) is a province located in the northwest of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Map of China showing Shaanxi province (red) and the other provinces affected by the earthquake (orange) The Shaanxi earthquake or Hua County Earthquake is the deadliest earthquake on record, killing approximately 830,000 people. ...

The 2004 tsunami is the deadliest in recorded history. Prior to 2004, the deadliest recorded tsunami in the Pacific Ocean was in 1782, when 40,000 people were killed by a tsunami in the South China Sea.^[42] The tsunami created by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa is thought to have resulted in 36,000 deaths. The most deadly tsunami between 1900 and 2004 occurred in 1908 in Messina, Italy, on the Mediterranean Sea, where the earthquake and tsunami killed 70,000. The most deadly tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean resulted from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which, combined with the toll from the actual earthquake and resulting fires, killed over 100,000. Map of China showing Shaanxi province (red) and the other provinces affected by the earthquake (orange) The Shaanxi earthquake or Hua County Earthquake is the deadliest earthquake on record, killing approximately 830,000 people. ... The Tangshan earthquake (å”å±±å¤§åœ°éœ‡) of July 28, 1976 is one of the largest earthquakes in loss of life to hit the modern world. ... The 1138 Aleppo earthquake was an earthquake that was located near the town of Aleppo in northern Syria on in 11 October 1138. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding countries and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... Krakatoa (Indonesian name: Krakatau, Portuguese name: Krakatao) is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. ... Messina, Italy Strait of Messina, Italy. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... This 1755 copper engraving shows the ruins of Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor. ...

The 2004 earthquake and tsunami seem to be the deadliest natural disaster since either the 1976 Tangshan earthquake or the 1970 Bhola cyclone, or could conceivably exceed both of these. Because of uncertainty over death tolls, it might never be known for sure which of these natural disasters was the deadliest. A natural disaster is the consequence of the combination of a natural hazard (a physical event e. ... The Tangshan earthquake (å”å±±å¤§åœ°éœ‡) of July 28, 1976 is one of the largest earthquakes in loss of life to hit the modern world. ... Lowest pressure Unknown Damages Unknown Fatalities 500,000 direct (Deadliest tropical cyclone of all time) Areas affected Bangladesh Part of the 1970 North Indian cyclone season The Bhola cyclone was a powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on 13 November 1970. ...

Human component in magnitude of damage

The human destruction of coral reefs played a significant role in the destruction caused by the tsunami. Many countries across Asia, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, have put forth efforts to destroy the coral surrounding their beaches, and instead make way for shrimp farms and other economic choices. On the Surin Island chain of Thailand's coast, many people were saved as the tsunami rushed against the coral reefs protecting the islands. However, there were many fewer people on these islands, which helps explain the lower death toll. Many reefs areas around the Indian Ocean have been exploded with dynamite because they are considered impediments to shipping, an important part of the South Asian economy.^[43] Similarly, the removal of coastal mangrove trees is believed to have intensified the effect of the tsunami in some locations. These trees, which lined the coast but were removed to make way for coastal residences, might have blocked the force of the tsunami. Another factor is the removal of coastal sand dunes.^[43] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1000, 299 KB)Caption: 050102-N-9593M-040 Indian Ocean (Jan. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1400x1000, 299 KB)Caption: 050102-N-9593M-040 Indian Ocean (Jan. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 kmÂ²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1071, 321 KB)Caption: 050101-N-1229B-199 Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1071, 321 KB)Caption: 050101-N-1229B-199 Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Surin Island are five islands located 55 kilometres from Thai mainland named Koh Surin Nua, Koh Surin Tai, Koh Ri, Koh Kai and Koh Klang. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian processes. ...

Humanitarian, economic and environmental impact

A great deal of humanitarian aid was needed because of widespread damage of the infrastructure, shortages of food and water, and economic damage. Epidemics were of special concern due to the high population density and tropical climate of the affected areas. The main concern of humanitarian and government agencies was to provide sanitation facilities and fresh drinking water to contain the spread of diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis A and B. The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. ... Humanitarian aid arriving by plane at Rinas Airport in Albania in the summer of 1999. ... In epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a... A tropical climate is a type of climate typical in the tropics. ... Cholera is a water-borne disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which is typically ingested by drinking contaminated water, or by eating improperly cooked fish, especially shellfish. ... Dysentery is an illness (formerly known as the bloody flux or simply flux) involving severe diarrhea that is often associated with blood in the feces. ... This is about the disease typhoid fever. ... Hepatitis A is an enterovirus transmitted by the orofecal route, such as contaminated food. ... Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a member of the Hepadnavirus family[1] and one of several unrelated viral species which cause viral hepatitis. ...

There was also a great concern that the death toll could rise further as diseases and hunger spread. However, because of the initial quick response, this was minimised.^[44]

In the days after the event, significant effort was spent in burying bodies hurriedly for fear of disease. However, the public health risks may have been exaggerated, and therefore this may not have been the best way to allocate resources. The World Food Programme provided food aid to more than 1.3 million people affected by the tsunami.^[45] For the Prison Break episode, please see Buried (Prison Break episode) Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea from an edition with drawings by Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou. ... Public health is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. ... // World Food Programme Hunger and undernutrition claim more lives than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combinedâ€”25,000 people a day, one every four seconds. ...

Nations all over the world provided over US$7 billion in aid for damaged regions, with the governments of Australia pledging US$819.9 million (including a US$760.6-million aid package for Indonesia), Germany offering US$660 million, Japan offering US$500 million, Canada offering US$343 million, Norway and The Netherlands offering both US$183 million, the United States offering US$35 million initially (increased to US$350 million), and the World Bank offering US$250 million.^[46] According to USAID, the US has pledged additional funds in long-term U.S. support to help the tsunami victims rebuild their lives. On February 9, 2005, President Bush asked Congress to increase the U.S. commitment to a total of $950 million. Officials estimated that billions of dollars would be needed. Bush also asked his father, former President George H. W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton to lead a U.S. effort to provide private aid to the tsunami victims.^[47] After disasters with extensive loss of life, much resource is often expended on burying the dead quickly, and applying disinfectant to bodies, to prevent diseases from speading. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy - Queen Beatrix - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War - Declared July 26, 1581 - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the US government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

In mid-March the Asian Development Bank reported that over US$4 billion in aid promised by governments was behind schedule. Sri Lanka reported that it had received no foreign government aid, while foreign individuals had been generous.^[48] Lots of charities were given considerable donations from the public. For example, in the UK the public donated roughly £330,000,000 sterling (nearly US$600,000,000). This considerably outweighed the donation by the government and came to about £5.50 (US$10) donated by each and every citizen. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. ...

In August 2006, fifteen local aid staff working on post-tsunami rebuilding have been found executed in northeast Sri Lanka after heavy fighting, the main umbrella body for aid agencies in the country said. There had been reports and rumors that the local aid workers had been killed.^[49]

Economic impact

The impact on coastal fishing communities and fisherfolk, some of the poorest people in the region, has been devastating with high losses of income earners as well as boats and fishing gear.^[50] In Sri Lanka artisanal fishery, where the use of fish baskets, fishing traps, and spears are commonly used, is an important source of fish for local markets; industrial fishery is the major economic activity, providing direct employment to about 250,000 people. In recent years the fishery industry has emerged as a dynamic export-oriented sector, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. Preliminary estimates indicate that 66% of the fishing fleet and industrial infrastructure in coastal regions have been destroyed by the wave surges, which will have adverse economic effects both at local and national levels.^[51] A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ...

But some economists believe that damage to the affected national economies will be minor because losses in the tourism and fishing industries are a relatively small percentage of the GDP. However, others caution that damage to infrastructure is an overriding factor. In some areas drinking water supplies and farm fields may have been contaminated for years by salt water from the ocean.^[52]

Both the earthquake and the tsunami may have affected shipping in the Malacca Straits by changing the depth of the seabed and by disturbing navigational buoys and old shipwrecks. Compiling new navigational charts may take months or years.^[53] ...

Countries in the region appealed to tourists to return, pointing out that most tourist infrastructure is undamaged. However, tourists were reluctant to do so for psychological reasons. Even resorts on the Pacific coast of Thailand, which were completely untouched, were hit by cancellations. One year after the tsunami hit, tourism is beginning to climb again, with a full recovery expected sometime in 2006.^[54]

Environmental impact

Beyond the heavy toll on human lives, the Indian Ocean earthquake has caused an enormous environmental impact that will affect the region for many years to come. It has been reported that severe damage has been inflicted on ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands, vegetation, sand dunes and rock formations, animal and plant biodiversity and groundwater. In addition, the spread of solid and liquid waste and industrial chemicals, water pollution and the destruction of sewage collectors and treatment plants threaten the environment even further, in untold ways. The environmental impact will take a long time and significant resources to assess.^[55] Download high resolution version (1987x1840, 720 KB)PIA06671: Tsunami Inundation, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model The Indian Ocean coastline near Phuket, Thailand is a major tourist destination that was in the path of the tsunami produced by a giant offshore earthquake on December 26, 2004. ... Download high resolution version (1987x1840, 720 KB)PIA06671: Tsunami Inundation, North of Phuket, Thailand ASTER Images and SRTM Elevation Model The Indian Ocean coastline near Phuket, Thailand is a major tourist destination that was in the path of the tsunami produced by a giant offshore earthquake on December 26, 2004. ... The beach at Khao Lak before the tsunami of 2004 Khao Lak is a resort beach in Thailand, located 100 km north of Phuket in Takua Pa district, Phang Nga province and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips. ... Phuket (Thai ภูเก็ต) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of components and processes that comprise, and govern the behavior of, some defined subset of the biosphere. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... The rocky side of a mountain creek near OrosÃ, Costa Rica. ... Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ... Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of geologic formations. ... Water pollution Water pollution is a large set of adverse effects upon water bodies (lakes, rivers, oceans, groundwater) caused by human activities. ... Sewage is the liquid water produced by human society which typically contains washing water, laundry waste, faeces, urine and other liquid or semi-liquid wastes. ...

According to specialists, the main effect is being caused by poisoning of the freshwater supplies and the soil by saltwater infiltration and deposit of a salt layer over arable land. It has been reported that in the Maldives, 16 to 17 coral reef atolls that were overcome by sea waves are totally without fresh water and could be rendered uninhabitable for decades. Uncountable wells that served communities were invaded by sea, sand and earth; and aquifers were invaded through porous rock. Salted-over soil becomes sterile, and it is difficult and costly to restore for agriculture. It also causes the death of plants and important soil micro-organisms. Thousands of rice, mango and banana plantations in Sri Lanka were destroyed almost entirely and will take years to recover. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with governments of the region in order to determine the severity of the ecological impact and how to address it.^[56] UNEP has decided to earmark a US$1,000,000 emergency fund and to establish a Task Force to respond to requests for technical assistance from countries affected by the tsunami.^[57] In response to a request from the Maldivian Government, the Australian Government sent ecological experts to help restore marine environments and coral reefs—the lifeblood of Maldivian tourism. Much of the ecological expertise has been rendered from work with the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia's north-eastern waters. For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Annual mean sea surface temperature for the World Ocean. ... A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) A salt, in chemistry, is any ionic compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is neutral (without a net charge). ... An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, or permeable mixtures of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, silt, or clay) (see also groundwater). ... Klaus TÃ¶pfer, UNEP Exec. ... Politics of the Maldives takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President is the head of government. ... Satellite image of part of the Great Barrier Reef adjacent to the Queensland coastal areas of Proserpine and Mackay. ...

Other effects

Many health professionals and aid workers have reported widespread psychological trauma associated with the tsunami. Traditional beliefs in many of the affected regions state that a relative of the family must bury the body of the dead. Some psychologists interpret this as evidence of psychological trauma.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (515x719, 78 KB) Summary http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (515x719, 78 KB) Summary http://www. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States of America serving from 1989 to 1993. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Laura Lane Welch Bush (born November 4, 1946) is the wife of U.S. President George W. Bush and is the current First Lady of the United States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The hardest hit area, Aceh, is considered to be a religiously conservative Islamic society and has had no tourism nor any Western presence in recent years due to armed conflict between the Indonesian military and Acehnese separatists. Some believe that the tsunami was punishment for lay Muslims shirking their daily prayers and/or following a materialistic lifestyle. Others have said that Allah was angry that there were Muslims killing other Muslims in an ongoing conflict.^[58] In what may be the most significant positive result of the tsunami, the widespread devastation led the main rebel group GAM to declare a cease-fire on December 28, 2004, followed by the Indonesian government, and the two groups resumed long-stalled peace talks, which resulted in a peace agreement signed August 15, 2005. The agreement explicitly cites the tsunami as a justification.^[59] Aceh (IPA pronunciation: , pronounced approximately Ah-CÃ¨h, but with [e], not [ei] at the end) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... Islam (Arabic: ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Quran, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…), believe God (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ) sent through revelations to Muhammad. ... Indonesias armed forces (Indonesian: Tentara Nasional Indonesia, or TNI, formerly ABRI) total about 250,000 members, including the army, navy, marines, and air force. ... ASNLF Flag The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), is an armed separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region on Sumatra from Indonesia. ... A Muslim (Arabic: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…, Turkish: MÃ¼slÃ¼man, Persian and Urdu: Ù…Ø³Ù„Ù…Ø§Ù†, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ... ASNLF Flag The Free Aceh Movement (Indonesian: Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or simply GAM), also known as the Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front (ASNLF), is an armed separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region on Sumatra from Indonesia. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The extensive international media coverage of the tsunami, and the role of mass media and journalists in reconstruction, were discussed by editors of newspapers and broadcast media in tsunami-affected areas, in special video-conferences set up by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre.[2] The Asia Pacific Journalism Centre is an Australian non-government organisation which specialises in providing seminars, workshops, training and international exchanges for journalists, mainly but not exclusively in the Asia-Pacific region. ...

In another positive note of the tsunami, the water washed away centuries of sand from some of the ruins of a 1,200-year-old lost city at Mahabalipuram on the south coast of India. The site, containing such notable structures as a half-buried granite lion near a 7th-century Mahablipuram temple and a relic depicting an elephant, is part of what archaeologists believe to be an ancient port city that was swallowed by the sea hundreds of years ago.^[60]^[61] Mahabalipuram Mahabalipuram(Tamil:à®®à®•à®¾à®ªà®²à®¿à®ªà¯à®°à®®à¯) (also known as Mamallapuram) is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. ...

See also

The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. ... Although National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii issued tsunami warnings as soon as they heard of the huge earthquake off Sumatra, the waves outran communications at jet speeds of 500 mph (804 km/h) - catching hundreds of thousands of people... In a United Nations conference held in January 2005 in Kobe, Japan, it was decided that, as an initial step towards an International Early Warning Programme, the UN should establish an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. ... The following is a list of major earthquakes. ... Epicentre map from NOAA USGS image depicting earthquake zones for the Sunda Trench - Damage zones for 1833 and 1861, then 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 28 March 2005 Sumatran earthquake. ... Aftershocks are earthquakes in the same region of the mainshock (generally within a few rupture length) but of smaller magnitude and which occur with in a pattern that follows Omoris law. ... The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC)[1] is a unique learning and accountability initiative in the relief and development sector. ... The May 2006 Java earthquake occurred at 05:54 local time on 27 May 2006 (22:54 GMT 26 May), in the Indian Ocean around 25 km (15 miles) south-southwest of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, near Galur, on the southern side of the island of Java (), 17. ... Map showing location of epicentre The July 2006 Java earthquake was a magnitude 7. ...

Notes and references

^ UN Office of the Envoy for Tsunami Recovery. "The Human Toll".
^ "Myanmar is withholding true casualties figures, says Thai priest". A missioner in Ranong, a town on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, says locals talk about 600 victims. Burmese political dissidents say the same. AsiaNews.it. January 4, 2005. URL accessed 2006-05-07.
^ Walton, Marsha. "Scientists: Sumatra quake longest ever recorded." CNN. May 20, 2005.
^ West, Michael; Sanches, John J.; McNutt, Stephen R. "Periodically Triggered Seismicity at Mount Wrangell, Alaska, After the Sumatra Earthquake." Science. Vol. 308, No. 5725, 1144-1146. May 20, 2005.
^ McKee, Maggie. "Power of tsunami earthquake heavily underestimated." New Scientist. February 9, 2005.
^ "Kamchatka Earthquake, November 4, 1952." United States Geological Survey.
^ Kostel, Ken; Tobin, Mary. "The Sound of a Distant Rumble: Researchers Track Underwater Noise Generated by December 26 Earthquake." Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. July 20, 2005.
^ Bilham, Roger. "A Flying Start, Then a Slow Slip." Science. Vol. 308, No. 5725, 1126-1127. May 20, 2005.
^ MarketWatch. "8.7 quake jars Sumatra, at least 300 dead." Investors.com. March 28, 2005.
^ McKernon, Conor. Science and Engineering at The University of Edinburgh School of Geosciences. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
^ USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: FAQ.
^ Earthquake-Tsunami Event of Christmas/Boxing Day 2004: Frames of Alternative Analysis or Perception. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
^ Staff Writer. "Sumatra shaken by new earthquake." BBC News. April 10, 2005.
^ "Panic in Sumatra after new earthquake." WIKINEWS. April 10, 2005.
^ Rinaldo, Aditya. "Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano spews into life." Hindustan Times. April 12, 2005.
^ Johnston, Tim (April 13, 2005). Indonesian Volcanoes Erupt; Thousands Evacuated. VOA News. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
^ Staff Writer. "Earthquake felt in Oklahoma, too." MuskogeePhoenix.com. December 28, 2004.
^ Cook-Anderson, Gretchen; Beasley, Dolores. "NASA Details Earthquake Effects on the Earth." National Aeronautics and Space Administration (press release). January 10, 2005.
^ Schechner, Sam. "Earthquakes vs. the Earth's Rotation." Slate. December 27, 2004.
^ Staff Writer. "Italian scientists say Asian quakes cause Earth's axis shifted." Xinhua. December 29, 2004.
^ Staff Writer. "Quake moved Sumatra by only 20 centimeters: Danish scientists", Agence France Presse, January 31, 2005.
^ Bagla, Pallava. "After the Earth Moved", Science Now, January 28, 2005.
^ Knight, Will. "Asian tsunami seabed pictured with sonar." New Scientist. February 10, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "NASA/French Satellite Data Reveal New Details of Tsunami." Jet Propulsion Laboratory/National Aeronautics and Space Administration. January 11, 2005.
^ TOPEX/Poseidon Satellite Data on the December 26, 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Aviso.
^ Lorca, Emilio, Recabarren, Margot (1997). Eartquakes and Tsunamis.
^ Paulson, Tom. "New findings super-size our tsunami threat." Seattlepi.com. February 7, 2005.
^ Leslie, John. "NOAA Scientists able to Measure Tsunami Height from Space." NOAA Magazine. January 10, 2005.
^ McKee, Maggie. "Radar satellites capture tsunami wave height." New Scientist. January 6, 2005.
^ Pearce, Fred; Holmes, Bob. "Tsunami: The impact will last for decades." New Scientist. January 15, 2005.
^ Time travel map: Tsunami Laboratory, Novosibirsk, Russia.
^ Time travel map: Active Fault Research Center: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan.
^ "Indian Ocean Tsunami" at Syowa Station, Antarctica, Hydrographic and Oceanographic Dept. Japan Coast Guard.
^ Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December, 2004. West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (USGS). December 31, 2004.
^ Carey, Bjorn. "Tsunami Waves Channeled Around the Globe in 2004 Disaster." LiveScience. August 25, 2005.
^ Block, Melissa. "Sri Lankans Seek Lost Relatives After Tsunami." All Things Considered/NPR. December 27, 2004.
^ Campbell, Matthew; Loveard, Keith; et al. "Tsunami disaster: Focus: Nature's timebomb." Times Online. January 2, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Girl, 10, used geography lesson to save lives." news.telegraph. January 1, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Most tsunami dead female - Oxfam." BBC News. March 26, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Sweden's tsunami death toll reaches 428." The Local: Sweden's News in English. May 19, 2005.
^ Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World (Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths). United States Geological Survey.
^ (Japanese)Not Awa, Japan 1703, alleged 100,000, which is probably a misreading of the 10,000 toll given in Watanabe, H., 1998, "Nihon higai tsunami so_ran, dai ni-han " (Comprehensive list of destructive tsunamis to hit the Japanese islands, 2ndedition): Tokyo, University of Tokyo Press, p. 238
^ ^a ^b Browne, Andrew. "Tsunami's Aftermath: On Asia's Coasts, Progress Destroys Natural Defenses", Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2004, p. A5.
^ Staff Writer. "UN upbeat on tsunami hunger aid." BBC News. January 9, 2005.
^ United Nations: World Food Programme: Report on the Tsunami Crisis.
^ Staff Writer (01-27-2005). Tsunami aid: Who's giving what. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
^ Staff Writer. "Clinton, Bush: Tsunami Aid Helping." The Early Show/CBS News. February 21, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Tsunami aid shortfall over $4bn." BBC News. March 18, 2005.
^ "Sri Lanka aid workers 'executed'", CNN, 2006-08-06.
^ Staff Writer. "Indian Ocean Tsunamis Devastate Fisherfolk." UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition. December 26, 2004.
^ Staff Writer. "[Food Supply and Food Security Situation in Countries Affected by the Asia Tsunami]." Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. January 14, 2005.
^ Pearce, Fred. "Tsunami's salt water may leave islands uninhabitable." New Scientist. January 5, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Tsunami redrew ship channels, ocean floor." MSNBC/Associated Press. January 5, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Tsunami tourism on track, but not quite fully recovered." USA Today/Associated Press. December 19, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "Impact of Tsunamis on Ecosystems." UN Atlas of the Oceans. Accessed: March 10, 2005.
^ Falt, Eric. "Environmental Issues Emerging from Wreckage of Asian Tsunami." United Nations Environment Programme.
^ United Nations Environment Programme; Environment for Development. Retrieved on 2006-04-22.
^ Broadway, Bill. "Divining a Reason for Devastation." Washington Post. January 8, 2005.
^ Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement, August 15, 2005. (PDF)
^ Staff Writer. "Tsunami waves exposed remnants of lost city." New Scientist. February 26, 2005.
^ Staff Writer. "India finds more 'tsunami gifts'." BBC News. February 27, 2005.

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Contents

Earthquake characteristics

Tectonic plates

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Power of the earthquake

Tsunami characteristics

Signs and warnings

Retreat and rise cycle

Damage and casualties

Countries affected

Casualties in historical context

Human component in magnitude of damage

Humanitarian, economic and environmental impact

Economic impact

Environmental impact

Other effects

See also

Notes and references

External links

News collections

Photos and video

Scientific and educational

Industry

Contents

Earthquake characteristics var ACE_AR = {Site: '756743', Size: '300250'};

Tectonic plates

Aftershocks and other earthquakes

Power of the earthquake

Tsunami characteristics

Signs and warnings

Retreat and rise cycle

Damage and casualties

Countries affected

Casualties in historical context

Human component in magnitude of damage

Humanitarian, economic and environmental impact

Economic impact

Environmental impact

Other effects

See also

Notes and references

External links

News collections

Photos and video

Scientific and educational

Industry

Earthquake characteristics